Originally Posted by
Pontius Navigator
MPN, correct. Then there is the X Factor: I don't know what that is now or which way it goes but it serves as another fudge factor.
X Factor these days is 14.5% and as we all know is a compensatory addition to take home pay to take into account the buggeration factor of Service life. Hence why some of the FTRS contracts which are limited in their duties don't get it. But the so what there is that the core pay for the job i.e. achieving actual operational effect is only ~85% of pay. Looked at that way, I think we offer pretty good value for the professional skills we posses across all branches and trades.
Incidentally, many look at pay in another way if they hit a pension point. Given that from that point on they could leave drawing a pension and start a second career, they are in fact effectively working for a rate of pay equivalent to salary - pension. When people work that one out for the first time you certainly see the cogs turning!